I just discovered that Google Docs finally work in the Safari web browser. (Up until now, Mac users had to access their Google Docs via Safari.) I think we may have the iPhone to thank for this; all those iPhone users wanted mobile access to their documents! I wonder what else the iPhone will finally bring to the Mac platform.

If you’re not using Google Docs, this is a great time to start! Google Docs let you create, edit, store and share documents and spreadsheets; the word processor feels very much like Microsoft Word, and the spreadsheet editor like Excel, so you’ll be right at home. But unlike the desktop versions of those apps, Google Docs let you collaborate with your colleagues. Here are some of the ways we’ve used Google docs and spreadsheets in our work:

  • as part of a strategic planning process: brainstorming results in rows, participants in columns, with each participant marking their favorite ideas
  • manage our docket of clients and projects (one client per row, one week per column; each week we insert a new column and add notes, current status, and upcoming actions and status
  • capacity planning: clients and projects in rows, weeks/months in columns, to track upcoming hours required
  • document creation: one person drafts in word and uploads, others fill in their details/examples